Medical operating-couch



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F. W; UHDE.

MEDIGAL OPERATING 0011011.

(No Model.)

No. 346,246. Patented July 2'7, 1886.

INVENTOR BY Jill/m WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

I. W. UHDE.

MEDICAL OPERATING 001105.

' Patented July 27, 1886.

INVENTOR: J ./j%@

Q Jam Vfl WITNESSES 2 ATTORNEYS.

u. PETERS. mum m. wanin a. c

UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

FREDERICK XV. UHDE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MEDICAL OPERATING-COUCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 346,246, dated July 27, 1886.

Application filed October I, 1885. Serial No. 179,240. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, FREDERIOK W. UHDE, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Medical Operating-Oouehes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention consists in a couch intended to be used in medical operations, and is adapted to be raised and lowered horizontally, or to be adjusted on an incline, substantially as hereinafter described.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of my improved couch elevated horizontally. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of the couch in an inclined position, being raised at the head. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of Fig. 1, showing the mechanism by which the couchframe is to be raised and lowered.

A in the accompanying drawings represents the side rails of the lower frame of a couch intended to be used in medical operations,supported on suitable 1egs,B,in the usual manner. To thislowermost frame, A, is fitted an independent corresponding upper frame, 0, to be raised and lowered either horizontally, as shown in Fig. 1, or on an incline, as in Fig. 2, in the manner hereinafter to be described.

Supported in suitable bearings, P, secured to the side rails of the lowermost frame, A, are two revolving screw-rods, D, one at either end of the frame, the extended ends E of which are to receive a crank, F, by which the mechanism is to be operated to raise and lower the couch-frame O horizontally, or to adjust it in an inclined position, as shown in Fig. 2.

To the side rails of the upper frame, 0, are secured two fixed cross-rods, G, directly above the screw-rods D. These upper cross-rods, G, are fitted each with sliding heads H H, and to the lower screw-rods, D, are also fitted two corresponding heads, M M. The heads M are provided with screw-threads to be moved back and forth by revolving the screw-rods D, and the heads M thereon are loose and to be held in a fixed position longitudinally upon the screw-rods between pins S S, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, so that in revolving these screw-rods D the heads M will be carried back and forth by means of cross-bars I, pivoted thereto, and the heads M will remain in a fixed position, to be hereinafter described. To these sliding heads H H are pivoted the upper ends of a system of cross-levers, I, the lower ends of which being pivoted to the fixed heads M and the moving heads M on the revolving screwrods D, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that as the screw-heads M are drawn together by revolving the rods D the ends of the upper levers of the system pivoted to the sliding heads H Hwill also be drawn toward each other by the crossbars gradually lengthening, as represented in Fig. 3, thus elevating the upper frame, 0, which supports the couch; and by reversing the movement of the screw-rods D the heads will be moved apart and the couchframe C will be lowered so as to rest upon the lowermost frame, A, in which position it may serve as an ordinary lounge.

By revolving one of the screw-rods D either end of the couch-frame may be raised to any desired inclined position, as represented in Fig. 2.

in order to adjust the head-rest J in the different positions as may be required, it is hinged at its upper corners to the ends of the side rails, G, and maintained at any incline by means of notched supports K, secured to and extending from the lower sides of the rails O.

The notched supports K have spring-shanks secured to the under side of the rails 0, so that as the head-rest is raised the notched ends thereof will follow and receive the lower edges of the sides J, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The head-rest may be lowered to a horizontal position in a plane parallel with the surface of the couch to form a bed.

To retain the two frames A O in position, one above the other, and to permit the couchframe 0 to be raised and lowered horizontally or inclined, as the case may be, guide-rods L are pivoted to the four corners of this frame 0, and extend downwardly into recesses formed in the legs B of thelower frame, as represented in Fig. 2.

By this construction and arrangement of the several parts composing my medical operating-couch it will be seen that the couchframe may be raised and lowered horizontally or set at any desired incline while occupied, and when closed be used as an ordinary lounge, or converted into a bed by lowering the headrest J. 4

For convenience in illustrating" the mechanism to operate my couch, the upholstering to the upper couch-frame is omitted.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters 1 Patent, is

An adj ustable'couch for invalids'an'd medir 5 

